If you haven’t seen “Tropic Thunder” yet, you really should before it leaves theatres. It really is very funny.

After the previews, you see some strange but funny things - a crazy commercial for a product called “Booty Sweat,” a movie about gay monks with Tobey Maguire (”Spider Man”) and a movie about a very overweight, very flatulent family, a la Eddie Murphy’s “Nutty Professor,” with Jack Black playing all the characters. Don’t worry, you’re not in the wrong theatre. It’s all part of “Tropic Thunder’s” preparations.

“Tropic Thunder” was co-written and directed by actor Ben Stiller. He also directed 1994’s “Reality Bites” and 2001’s “Zoolander,” which he also starred in.

I thought Robert Downey, Jr. absolutely stole the show. His character, Kirk Lazarus, is an Australian actor who plays Sgt. Osiris, a black soldier, in the film. “I’m the dude playin’ the dude, disguised as another dude!” he says. Another classic is, “Man, I don’t drop character ’till I done the DVD commentary.”

Robert Downey, Jr. is a wonderful actor. I know he had some issues with substance abuse but I’m so glad he’s overcome that and is working in film again. I really loved the movie “Restoration” (1995), where he played a young physican named Robert Merivel in the 1600s.

Another funny character is studio executive Les Grossman, played by Tom Cruise. A balding, overweight and obnoxious man, Cruise throws curses and chubby fingers in everyone’s face. He does some pretty funny dancing at the end of the film.

The only thing I didn’t find so funny was Jack Black’s character, Jeff “Fats” Portnoy. I am a fan of Jack Black, especially in his role as Barry the record store clerk in 2000’s “High Fidelity” with John Cusack. I’m also a fan of Black’s band and TV show, both named Tenacious D, with actor/musician Kyle Gass. I was really disappointed with Black’s role in “Tropic Thunder.” It was partially his lines, and partially his insane acting. He did play an actor coming down from a heroin addiction, but it just wasn’t funnyl.

Stay during the credits: lots of funny things happen, so wait through them and you won’t be sorry.

If you want to see some other funny things, check out comedian Jim Gaffigan’s show on Comedy Central. And I also must recommend comedian Bill Engvall’s show on Comedy Central. I’d never seen Engvall before, but he sure is daggone funny, as he’d probably say. I laughed through the entire thing.

Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Jr. - Kirk Lazarus, who plays Sgt. Osiris
Jack Black - Jeff “Fats” Portnoy, the drug-addicted comedian/actor
Jay Baruchel - Character actor Kevin Sandusky, the only one who’s read the script
Brandon T. Jackson - Rapper Alpa Chino, promoter of “Booty Sweat” energy drinks, in his first acting role
Ben Stiller - Vetern actor Tugg Speedman
Steve Coogan - Damien Cockburn, the rookie movie director
Nick Nolte - John “Four Leaf” Tayback, who wrote the book “Tropic Thunder” on which the movie is based
Tom Cruise - Les Grossman, the obnoxious studio executive
Matthew McConaghey - Rick “Pecker” Peck, Tugg Speedman’s agent
Danny R. McBride - Cody Underwood, the crazy pyrotechnics guy